Preview: Gladiators Will Be No Easy Task Reminds Ford

After their close call KO cup encounter a week ago, the Wessex Marine Pirates turn their attentions back to BSN series qualification when they host the delayed visit of Devonshire cousins Plymouth Gladiators on Wednesday (May 1st, 7.30pm)

With this being only their second outing in the early season competition, Poole promoter Dan Ford is sending out a big message to his team and supporters alike not to underestimate the combined strength of the Gladiators.

"I think Plymouth became an unfancied side when they lost the services of their intended number one, Nico Covatti, but they have certainly been surprising a lot of people with their early results" said Ford, adding, "They ran Oxford very close in their other away fixture in our BSN group, which is always a difficult place to go to and then they were very impressive at home in their KO Cup performance against Scunthorpe. So we will have to be doing our utmost on Wednesday to take a good lead to the Coliseum later in the month, with the bonus points going to be key in getting through the group."

"Their threat becomes even stronger as they have certainly got a few riders who know their way around Wimborne Road, not least Kyle Newman and Joe Thompson who were both with us last season. Ben Barker is always a handful here and Dan Thompson has been incredibly impressive of late so we will have to be at our very best and I can assure everyone that this will be no easy task or a possible walkover that many people were thinking."

Not only does the meeting throw up a set of brothers on each side with the Thompson twins up against the Pirates' Aussie boys of Ben and Zach Cook, they will each also have a Testimonial-celebrating rider, with Richard Lawson in Poole colours, and former Pirate Kyle Newman, back on familiar territory, with his 2024 club, both looking ahead to big meetings later in the year.

Poole have been forced into making a personnel change for the night, as they go into the meeting without the services of heat leader Tom Brennan, as the rescheduled date clashes with his engagement in the FIM European Championship qualifier in Mureck, Austria. His place will be covered by guest Troy Batchelor and that also means both sides are operating with a guest as Simon Lambert stands in as the Gladiators number one, due to Covatti still being ruled out through injuries sustained whilst contesting the Argentinian Championships.

Declared teams
Poole (Team Manager Neil Middleditch) 1 Richard Lawson 2 Tobias Thomsen 3 (Guest) Troy Batchelor 4 Zach Cook 5 Ben Cook 6 Sam Hagon 7 Max Perry
Plymouth (Team Manager Garry May) 1 (Guest) Simon Lambert 2 Alfie Bowtell 3 Dan Thompson 4 Kyle Newman 5 Ben Barker 6 Joe Thompson 7 Jacob Hook.